I'll give you some extra time to finish reading that title, because it's a whopper - but then, so is the game itself. It's the latest in a long line of games bearing the Clancy name and it's also the latest that beats actually reading any of his books. It's big, it's brash, it's American and it's just been released on the PC, following a successful stint on the Xbox 360. The good news is that it's also rather enjoyable.

Like previous Clancy games, GRAW2 is set in the not-too-distant future and follows the exploits of a team of soldiers - in this case the titular Ghosts - as they attempt to do what soldiers do. In GRAW2, this involves tracking down missing nuclear warheads that have found their way onto American soil and removing the threat before they explode in seventy-two hours. As Capt. Scott Mitchell you lead your battle-hardened squad into conflict, beginning in Juarez, Northern Mexico, and slowly progressing toward the Land of the Free in your efforts to locate the nukes. The trouble is that Mexico is currently in the hands of revolutionaries trying to get all American troops removed from their country, which makes your job that much harder. Clichéd? Yes. But GRAW2's biggest selling point is not its story, but its features.

Like its predecessor, GRAW2 makes use of the 'Cross-Com' system, this time called the Cross-Com 2.0. Cross-Com is the tool that lets you order your Ghosts around quickly and easily on the battlefield, and it works extremely well. Clicking the middle mouse displays a 'quick menu' over your crosshair with a number of context-sensitive commands: Move, Follow, Attack and so on. The mouse wheel scrolls through the options and a second click of the middle button executes the order with the chosen squad member. A glowing circle on-screen makes it easy to see exactly where the chosen squaddie will move to or attack, so there's little chance of you sending them the wrong way. The options that this method of control provides are staggering. You can send a teammate ahead to provide cover for yourself (and 'leapfrog' subsequent squad members to consistently provide cover) and set up intricate flanking manoeuvres with just a few clicks. You can create formations or position squad members on rooftops to provide long-range cover. Couple this with the tactical map - a satellite view of the battlefield, showing enemy locations, objectives and possible routes - and strategies open up around every bend. It's possible to issue numerous commands before getting yourself into position and executing them. Need to get around that enemy fort? Check the tactical map and plan like it's Napoleon's revenge tour.

Sometimes the view of the map can make it difficult to clearly spot enemy troops before you blunder blindly into their camp, making for some exciting run and gun moments as you frantically try to escape with at least one squad member alive. These 'mad-dashes' are made easier by the control system; as well as the standard first person shooter controls, you can sprint for a seemingly endless amount of time to escape from danger (although this prevents you from firing) and dive around like a gymnast to find cover by hitting the space bar as you sprint. When you're running low on ammo and bullets are whizzing past your head from all angles, the last-ditch sprint to the MULE can seem like a marathon! There are also two different modes to place your troops into: assault and recon. In assault mode your men ignore cover and go all out for the kill (often taking a lot of damage in the process), whereas in recon mode they're more likely to hide behind objects and wait before delivering that fatal headshot.

The combination of the Cross-Com and the tactical map makes for a highly intuitive system that lets even novices plan advanced tactics on the fly. The only problem is that the squad members occasionally end up lagging behind as you run off after the bad guys. Although the AI lets them shoot and alert you to threats, it often stops short of them finding cover or actually arriving at a firefight.

The AI in general is a little disappointing. Besides the lack of autonomy displayed by your own team, there is the fact that enemy troops sometimes stand and watch you for several seconds before finally opening fire, even if you're in plain sight. Often they continue to shoot in your direction despite there being a fence in the way. Or a tree. Or a city block. For a modern tactical game this is a bit of shame, but even so, GRAW2 offers enough of a challenge despite this problem.

Around every turn there are intense shootouts that require quick thinking and an accurate aim. Because of the realistic nature of the combat, one-shot kills are commonplace and you must take extra care to gain cover to avoid becoming another statistic. Unlike similar games I have played, the sense of actually being in a near-death shoot out is tangible, as bullets ricochet from concrete and barely miss you, giving the telltale 'thwip' noise as they bury themselves in nearby objects. In fact, the entire pace of the game is dictated by these set pieces and this keeps the action coming thick and fast - just when you think you've cleared an area, enemy reinforcements arrive to keep you on your toes. Often though this can be infuriating, especially because of the lengthy periods between autosaves. Although a quick save system is available, the game often simply tells you that saving is not allowed, meaning that if you die, you might end up replaying more of the level than you'd like.

But don't worry if your team mates are killed; the commander will tell you that a medical team will come and collect him (where's my medical team?!) and the game carries on, albeit with you suffering a tactical disadvantage. The only real reason to keep your team alive is that GRAW2 gets insanely difficult without the backup they provide. It's only if you die that the mission is called off and it's game over. Given that there isn't any way to collect health mid-mission, you're likely to die quite often because of the sheer number of enemies that pop up as if from nowhere. You can, however, collect new weapons and ammunition at certain points during missions using the MULE. This remote-controlled armoured car holds an infinite amount of weaponry that you can access whenever it's nearby. Kit can be swapped in case you need a rocket launcher to take down incoming enemy armour or some grenades to clear out a pesky machine gun nest. Be aware however that the MULE is not available on all missions, so you need to keep a close eye on your ammunition levels some of the time.

The firefights and set pieces are visually stunning; GRAW2's graphical engine really keeps those pixels flying and the result is a breathtaking mix of volumetric smoke, heat hazes and massive explosions - you can almost feel the heat from each blast! The best thing is that you are actively encouraged to blow things up. Most missions involve planting C4 on tanks, artillery or buildings, often for no real reason other than because it looks cool! Now, I've never been to Mexico, but I imagine it looks like GRAW2 (only a bit less war-torn). Like Battlefield 2, the city streets are littered with craters and destroyed vehicles that create cover but also impede progress, while the buildings look like modern versions of a Spaghetti Western set and the sense of urbanity really is overwhelming. However, unlike Battlefield 2, the detail of the textures really adds that professional edge. Realism was clearly high on the agenda for the developers of GRAW2. As you look around, sunlight reflects from windows and streams through holes in walls. Birds circle high above and critters scamper through undergrowth, blissfully unaware of the carnage being wrought around them. Some scenery is destructible, such as signs and fences, and certain mission objectives require you to blow buildings up (and sideways, and backwards, and apart!) but most of the world stays pretty much intact throughout the fighting, which is a shame. I'd have liked to be able to destroy walls to get through to objectives or create cover, but I feel this is only a small niggle in what is otherwise an exceptionally good-looking game.

Couple these effects with the real-world weapon models and slick animations and GRAW2 stands out as the best looking war game yet seen. You can aim your weapon's sights to get a clear bead on the enemy, but this leaves you open to being attacked by unseen foes. If you try to aim without looking down the sights then you are in constant danger of the recoil forcing you to miss, so the choice of which view to use can make or break a mission. Equip a team member with a sniper rifle and they can clear a path through a city, but they'll be the first to die should a tank appear. Grab hold of a rocket launcher and the tank's history, but you're left undefended against all and sundry. Knowing which weapon to use and when is a big part of GRAW2's tactics.

There's nothing special about the shooting though; it's 'aim and pull the trigger' all the way home. Recoil seems to vary little between weapons of the same type and accuracy is never really a problem because there's a little red dot to show you exactly where you're aiming, so it's hard to miss once you spot an enemy; it's only the weapon's maximum range that affects whether you kill an enemy or just wound him.

GRAW2 also excels on the audio front; each stomach-rumbling explosion shakes the speakers and leaves you with a very large grin plastered across your face. Background sounds make the battles seem much larger than the area you're in, too; the ambience makes it clear that you're only one small part of a much larger war.

The campaign mode is a huge single story spread over several locations. Each mission is preceded by real-life footage of news reports showing the current situation, then a tactical planning stage where you can kit out your soldiers with the most appropriate weaponry. You don't need to be a great tactician though, because the default gear is usually sufficient for your needs. I would have liked to see a few more options on the planning screen, like being able to split your team into groups or assign them orders before the actual battle - the single option of choosing an insertion point almost makes the planning stage redundant. It's really just a case of choosing where to start the mission and I was left feeling that a more in-depth system would be nice - as in games such as SWAT or Rainbow Six. Once you're on the battlefield, your objectives are highlighted on the HUD and video feeds keep you updated on the action. It's hard to get lost or stuck at any point and this helps keep the pace of the game going at top speed.

When it comes to the multiplayer, GRAW2 offers a veritable cornucopia of content. Not only does it include the classic Deathmatch/Team Deathmatch play modes, but it also offers Hamburger Hill matches, in which opposing teams have to capture and hold various points on the beautifully designed maps. There are nine such maps featuring all the fancy graphical features of the single player game for up to thirty-two players, making for one hell of a battle. The realistic style makes cover and planning all that more important - one headshot can see you out of the match instantly. It's a tad reminiscent of Counter-Strike, but a lot more fun and strategic. As well as these standard modes, Recon Vs Assault lets you pit your skills against rival teams in a battle between the Ghost Recon squad and the Mexican Rebels, in what is more or less identical to Team Deathmatch, but the Ghosts need to destroy anti-air vehicles owned by the Rebels and the Rebels win by killing all the Ghosts.

As great fun as the multiplayer is, all the modes pale into insignificance when placed next to GRAW2's biggest multiplayer feature - four player co-op mode! Yes, every mission in the single player campaign can be played out in its entirety online with up to three other friends. Whereas the first game featured cut-down missions, the sequel ups the ante by keeping every mission intact. The server owner plays the part of Mitchell and the other players make up the remainder of the squad. Playing the game cooperatively is a much more satisfying experience - not least because you get to order your friends around!

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 is a Sherman Tank of a game - tough, armed to the teeth and... erm... more heavily armoured at the front! It offers challenges to veterans and newcomers alike and, despite its sometimes poor AI, keeps the action constant. Those who regularly play Tom Clancy games will be immediately familiar with the style and pace of the game, whilst those that have never ventured into this genre will quickly learn the ropes. Either way, if you're looking for a thinking man's shooter then you really need look no further than GRAW2, lying in wait on the shelves for your stealthy approach...

Reviewed by John Barnes for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).